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Let's say you were grinding out some faction re...
2025-01-06 20:52:43 +0000 UTC View Post
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Not to start a discussion with "back in my day..." but back in my day Dungeons & Dragons players took a bit more of a risk to their social status when playing the game. D...
2024-12-01 23:38:47 +0000 UTC View Post
Toxicity in video games has been a long-standing and long-studied problem. In this episode, I talk to someone who has not only studied toxic behavior among gamers, but specifically looked at how players deal with it --or don't deal with it-- and what game companies can do to help gamers when they see or experience it.
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This post includes the audio version of this article, exclusive to my supporters. Thanks for your support!
Imagine you're playing Dungeons & Dragons and your dungeon master sadly informs you that the goblin shaman you're fighting finally figured out how to pronounce "Fireball!" Now your character needs to make a dexterity saving throw to avoid being immolated. Then ima...
2024-10-15 12:40:48 +0000 UTC View Post
If you haven't played Concord, the competitive, team-based shooter developed by Firewalk Studios and published by Sony ...well, you're not going to be able to change that fact. Concord was released on August 23, 2024. Then it was eventually shut down. And by "eventually" I mean "almost immediately" by which I mean two weeks later on September 6th. It's true that almost nobody was playing the ga...
2024-10-08 20:06:38 +0000 UTC View Post
Many games put forth some kind of value that they hope will be communicated to players, be they ones that see obvious (like the value of empathy) or subtle (like experiencing life under capitalism). When the insertion of these values into game development is deliberate, what do we know about how it happens and what effects it has on players?
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Someone actually studied this question and provided an answer. Text version is on the website but because you're a Patreon supporter you get a free audio version here. Thanks for your support!
2024-09-15 19:59:37 +0000 UTC View Post
We have some decent theories for understanding the appeal of many different types of video games. But one thing I've always struggled to explain is why people love really difficult games (like Dark Souls) or really easy games (like Cookie Clicker). In this episode I'll explore one theory about uncertainty reduction that helps explain why we find ANY kind of game engaging.
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2024-09-01 15:52:30 +0000 UTC View Post
My publisher is running a Kickstarter to offer discounted, early copies of my new book on the Psychology of Dungeons & Dragons. To help you decide if you want to back it (I think you should, but I'm arguably biased), this episode conta...
2024-07-24 13:54:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Have you ever become attached to a place in a video game? A virtual environment that you've obviously never visited in the flesh but which you start to think of it like a real place? Maybe the dwarven capitol of Ironforge in World of Warcraft? The spaceship The Normandy in Mass Effect? Link and Zelda's land of Hyrule? Maybe you you have become so familiar with those virtual places through...
2024-07-01 16:30:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Many of us have thought of ourselves as "passionate" about one thing or another, including video games or even specific game series or franchises. But what does this mean and is it always a good thing? When can passion become a detriment to our lives and our psychological well-being? These are the kinds of questions I'll discuss with this episode's guest expert.
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In this episode, I'll explore some research on whether or not video games can make you smarter or help you develop certain cognitive skills.
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“Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Common...
2024-05-01 18:30:07 +0000 UTC View Post
In this episode I talk with an expert on how video games elicit nostalgia and what it means for players and consumers.
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What do research and theory say about how our avatars in video games and virtual reality may shape our behaviors --and how they don't?
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In this episode I talk with an expert on diagnosing and treating ADHD in children. We'll talk about the challenges video games present to people with ADHD and some strategies for dealing with problems it may present.
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In-game purchases are a staple of modern game design, especially in the free-to-play and live service categories. Which isn't necessarily bad as a business model, but there are some psychological effects that these games either intentionally or accidentally employ that may make us spend more than we intend to.
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Sometimes we have to sell people on the merits of games like Dungeons & Dragons. People like parents, principals, teachers, or even our own significant others Usually this comes in the form of telling them all the great benefits playing brings --learning math, reading, communication, teamwork, social skills, and more. D&D is also often specifically praised for its ability to help neurod...
2023-11-05 19:04:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Is technology or game design more important for determining whether we feel immersed and present in the world of a video game? What kinds of things will make us forget about the screen between us and that world, the controller in our hands, and the other things around us so that we start to feel like we're actually inhabiting the virtual world of the game?
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What do psychologists and games researchers have to say about the idea of role-playing, when you pretend to take on another person's persona, point of view, thoughts, and state of mind? What effects can role-playing games have on us? Tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons feature this as a central part of the experience, and some video games also ask you to do it.
A...
2023-09-01 15:20:03 +0000 UTC View Post
What can the psychology of loot drops tell us about the evolution of the Diablo series?
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Can playing a lot of games lead us to become better at explaining why a given character or behavior is moral or immoral?
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Thanks for being a Patreon supporter! In this episode I'm flying solo and doing a deep dive into what one theory has to say about why we're motivated to play video games, with an emphasis on grinding in particular.
2023-04-01 16:32:34 +0000 UTC View Post
There's a growing trend among therapists who bring people together --often children, but sometimes adults-- to play Dungeons & Dragons and other role-playing games in a therapeutic context. Run by game masters who are qualified mental health professionals, these sessions help people dealing with ADHD, autism, learning disorders, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, ...
2023-03-01 16:25:38 +0000 UTC View Post
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In this episode, I talk about some of the psychology behind sales, especially digital sales that have no physical items or storefronts involved. What are some of the things that digital storefronts do --either intentionally or not-- that you should know about so that you can approach s...
2023-02-01 17:52:27 +0000 UTC View Post
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Could we develop a training regime for esports teams? It happens all the time in other kinds of sports. Coaches assign certain types of weight training and drills to soccer players, baseball players, football players, and any other kind of professional or even collegiate athlete you can think of. Could we do the same thing with esports athlete...
2023-01-02 15:30:39 +0000 UTC View Post
How can we use one classic finding in the persuasion literature to combat toxic behavior in games?
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2022-12-04 23:59:40 +0000 UTC View Post
I share a lecture I recently gave on the psychology behind nostalgia, that bittersweet remembrance of times past. We'll explore why nostalgia has led to so many remakes, remasters, and reboots of old gaming franchises. And why that's not necessarily a bad thing.
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Why video games are a great solution for the difficult problem of pain management. Want to read the text version of this story? Perform clicking motions here!
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2022-11-02 14:53:01 +0000 UTC View Post
How can watching people play Critical Role or playing D&D yourself lead to transformative, psychologically meaningful experiences? And is that a thing you want?
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Thanks for being a Patreon supporter! Here's your bonus micro-podcast.
How do you best give feedback to a Dungeons & Dragons dungeon master about how to improve their game?
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2022-10-03 14:47:40 +0000 UTC View Post